Weblog roundup: AIG, FMLA, CA, OH, employment law issues & more
AIG Probe - Business Insurance reports that New York officials are appointing an outside consultant to audit insurance premiums at American International Group Inc. because workers compensation premiums were improperly booked for more than a decade, according to a Spitzer spokesperson. Law Professors Peter Henning and Ellen Podgor discuss this in greater detail in Ignoring Legal Advice at AIG on their intriguing White Collar Crime Prof Blog. Thanks to Doug Simpson of Unintended Consequences for the pointer.
California watch - Employers' Attorney Criticizes Cuts In Workers' Comp Benefits. An article in Adjuster.com states "In a surprising critique, a former president of an attorneys' group that represents employers and insurers says benefits for disabled workers have been slashed to "socially unacceptable" levels under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger."
New business blog - BusinessWeek Online has launched its own blog, Blogspotting, where the worlds of business, media and blogs collide - we'll add this to the sidebar. Thanks to B. Janell Garnier at Benefits Blog for the pointer.
Safety pays in Ohio - Employers that actively participate in the BWC's safety council program from July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006 will receive a 4 percent one-time workers’ compensation premium discount. Thanks to KivaCom for the pointer.
P&C Results - Joe Paduda has a good post on Property and Casualty 2004 results - trends show that premium rates are likely to decline and price competition to increase.
Worker Memorial Day follow-up - Jordan Barab offers a summary of the day’s news coverage.
Family Medical Leave Act - Michael Fox at Jotting By an Employer's Lawyer covers a recent court judgment upholding the dismissal of a suit by an employee who was fired after an FMLA leave. The court held that the application of the "as the crow flies" FMLA provision - or the 75 mile rule - was valid. "Under the FMLA, if there are less than 50 employees within 75 miles of your worksite, even though you meet all other conditions, you are not eligible for FMLA leave."
Skin Deep - So Much for That Merit Raise: The Link between Wages and Appearance. Related - Appearance-based lawsuits are on the rise. (Thanks to Martin Grace of RiskProf for the pointer.)
Good entrepreneurial blog - If you've never visited Dane Carlson's Business Opportunities Weblog, take a few minutes to check out. The topic is entrepreneurship and small business - and although not usually directly related to workers comp or insurance, it's one of my favorite regular reads. Another favorite: Anita Campbell's Small Business Trends.
Employment Law - George Lenid of the always excellent George's Employment Blawg releases the greatest hits - the seven most popular posts on his blog so far this year.
Roofing Contractors and comp - Read Cary Duke's article on Roofing Contractors, Workers' Compensation Insurance and Profits. Duke blogs at The Comp Expert.
Wacky employment lawsuits - Diane Pfadenhauer of Strategic HR Lawyer points us to a National Law Journal article entitled The 10 Most Bizarre Employment Cases of 2004.
E-mail as a safety hazard? - Apparently, while we’ve been catching up on our e-mails, we might as well have been smoking pot. According to a study conducted by King's College, London University with 1,100 people, e-mail is a threat to your IQ. "The average IQ loss was measured at 10 points, more than double the four point mean fall found in studies of cannabis users." Via Rob at Business Pundit.
